French Colonial History

Study Notes

1648: Treaty of Westphalia established the concept of sovereignty and non-interference in the domestic affairs of other nations.
1884-1885: Berlin Conference divided Africa into spheres of influence among European powers.
1885: Léopold II established the Congo Free State, brutally seizing the African landmass as his personal possession.

1830-1910: Fiscal transfer from France to its colonies was almost non-existent.
1950s: France increased investments in its colonies, particularly in military infrastructure.
1946: Establishment of the Union Française, a political entity that aimed to maintain French influence over its colonies.
1946-1947: Insurgencies broke out in Madagascar, challenging French rule.
1956: Loi cadre introduced reforms in the French colonies, but ultimately failed to address the growing nationalist movements.
1958: Establishment of the Communauté Française, a revision of the Union Française that attempted to maintain French control over its colonies.
1960: Implosion of the French community led to the independence of former French colonies.

1498: Spanish conquistadors arrived in Hispaniola.
1635: French settlers established themselves in Guadeloupe.
1794: France abolished slavery.
1802: Napoleon restored slavery.
1848: France abolished slavery again.
1804: Haiti gained independence from France.
1860s: Haiti established diplomatic relations with the US.
1825: Haiti signed a debt contract with France, which would later contribute to its economic difficulties.
1915-1935: US occupied Haiti.

1787: Establishment of Freetown, Sierra Leone, by the US as a refuge for freed slaves.
1811: Paul Cuffe, a African American, established a settlement in Sierra Leone.
1817: Establishment of the American Colonization Society (ACS), which aimed to transport freed slaves to Liberia.
1860s: Diplomatic relations established between the US and Liberia.
1914: Marcus Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), a Pan-African movement.
1920s: Liberia became a de facto territory of the US, with the US exerting significant control over its government and economy.
1939: The Greater Liberia Act aimed to annex surrounding territories to Liberia.

1815: Congress of Vienna redrew the map of Europe and established the Concert of Europe.
1926: League of Nations abolished slavery and the slave trade.
1948: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights included the abolition of slavery and the slave trade.
1946: Nuremberg Trials established the concept of crimes against humanity.
1990s: Various declarations and conferences on reparations for historical injustices, including the transatlantic slave trade.
1994-2003: The Decade Against Racism aimed to address racial discrimination and xenophobia globally.

1883: German colonization of Namibia.
1896-1904: Revolts and massacres against German rule in Namibia.
1904-1911: German extermination and concentration camps in Namibia.
1918-1990: South Africa was under apartheid rule.
1961: Casablanca Group of African states sought to promote African unity and independence.
1963: Monrovia Group opposed the Casablanca Group's approach to African unity.
1960: Brazzaville Group of African states maintained close ties with France.